“I'll be more aware, especially this time of year with the crowds, and anything can happen,” shopper Candy Dolan said.

“We were talking about things that have happened, like in Paris and everything, and how there's the concern,” shopper Lindsay Alcorn said,

Some shoppers said they plan to be on guard.

“I'm constantly looking around, making sure nothing is out of the ordinary,” shopper Ricky Townsell said.

And that's what police are hoping for in Wauwatosa, where several major new retail additions could make this the busiest Black Friday ever.

“We will have additional patrols at all those locations,” Wauwatosa police Lt. Paul Leist said.

Wauwatosa police are reminding shoppers to protect their purchases, lock their cars and to avoid distractions.

“Maintain the ability to react to something that might happen. That means not over-burdening yourself with packages. That means not putting a big hood up over your head and taking away your ability to see what's around you,” Leist said.

Whether people are shopping in a crowded store or walking to their car in the parking lot, police said one the biggest distractions this holiday season may the one people are carrying around in their hand.

“Walking through parking lot is not the time to check your phone. Walking through the parking lot is not the time to check for a text,” Leist said.

The message, he said, is stay alert, stay aware and stay safe as everyone battles those crowds of holiday shoppers.